Wednesday, June 10, 2009

I’m not a strategic planner or one of the big wig policy types like Dave Kears. In fact when we (myself and other little unimportant people) lobbied and fought for the construction of the clinic building at Highland mostly we fought Dave Kears and the county supervisors. They were arrogant and dismissive of neighbors, unions, hospital employees and patients. They treated just as they have treated the residents, unions and patients who support keeping the San Leandro Hospital open as an acute care facility.

Healthcare like education is best planned with community involvement and support. The coalition opposing the takeover of San Leandro hospital by ACMC are the very people who supported Measure “A” and who fight for access to healthcare. The healthcare landscape for the East Bay is being re-designed it should not be done in secret, and without consulting those who need the service or provide it. Whether ACMC’s is able to move to San Leandro Hospital or not we have lost something more important than real estate we have lost a community's trust.

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Well, once again the medical center finds itself in a financial ditch. The County of Alameda plans to continue balancing its budget on the diminishing Measure “A” monies. In spite of a tanking economy the sick stayed home or homeless for two consecutive months creating a revenue crisis, some very ugly pie charts and a lot of acid reflux for our ace executive team.

So how do we save the medical center? The Board of Trustees thinks they’ve been doing just a supper job, thank you very much. Many of the trustees have been sitting on the Board for so many years that speculation is that they’re trying to qualify for the county retirement plan. The aging board feels so confident about the medical center’s bright future that they reduced the meeting schedule to every other month and may soon move to conference calls. These tireless public servants have lots of white table clothes parties with the executive team to celebrate themselves. It’s kind of a noblesse oblige culture, the peasants, the patients and the non-native English speakers are discouraged from participating.

So, we need a high end kind of helpful, something that would appeal to “haves” to help out the “have nots.” Something classy like a golf tournament, a ball, or a wine tasting, something that gets Senator’s, developers, heiresses to open their check books and their hearts to our little healthcare system. So here it is folks, listen carefully, “Martini Madness” the search for the Highland Hospital signature mixed drink. Come and get soused with us, it’s OK we’re medical professionals. We even have some early entries into the contest, and remember, you’ve put worse things in your mouth.

The Highland Highball (non-alcoholic): 3 parts Redbull, 1 part Ritalin served in a camel bag

The Highland Handshake (1): 3 parts Yoo-hoo, 2 parts Vicodin, served chilled in a large latex glove with a Milk of Magnesium chaser

Ghetto Juice: 1 part Sunny D, 3 parts Two Buck Chuck, 1 part whatever, served over ice in a urine sample cup

The Designate Driver (it will be all the way out of your system long before you hit the road) 2 parts Golightly (2) and 3 parts Grey Goose

Remember it’s more than a party it’s PR. See you there.1. Highland Handshake: a rectal exam. We just want to get to know you. 2. Golightly: for all you non-medical types this stuff’s basically Drano for humans.

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

It has been hard to get good information about the county supervisor's secret real estate deal with Sutter. I thought the public revoked their secret real estate deal privileges after the Raider's Deal, but I guess not. The sups are still wheeling and dealing. California Nurses Association (CNA) has done great work on the San Leandro Hospital closure and what it will mean for healthcare consumers and providers. UHW used to make sure Sutter didn't arbitrarily cut jobs and services to the poor but SEIU's pretty much gutted UHW, they appear to be dead in the water on local healthcare issues.

Monday, May 11, 2009

Dave Kears is still the Man. He helped Sutter Healthcare divest of one of their few community hospitals that actually serve the poor and he signed the medical center up for more loans and a commercial real estate deal. ACMC has to move rehabilitation services out of the hills and into the hood. Sutter the mega-monster healthcare monopolist gets to close a hospital with the emergency room in a working class neighborhood in San Leandro, the medical center gets more debt and rehab in the hood and the county gets a priceless piece of real estate at Fairmont.

Rumors of Dave Kears retirement were evidently premature, his dream of the medical center as an Emergency Room and patient transfer station may yet be realized.

The union guys over at NUHW put up a website to help medical center members understand contract, political and worksite issues. There is a good post about the new Paid Time Off agreement and how to read your paycheck. Check it out: ACMCnews.org

Big pharma and insurance companies are working hard to keep good ideas out of the healthcare reform discussion this group is fighting to keep increasing and improving public healthcare on the table. Take the time sign up.